Hi I have 2 beautiful Cavaliers (male) called Ashton (3) and Rio (2) they are both perfect weight and we have never had issues with any male type behaviour (marking etc) but we are thinking of adding a little girl to our pack and we don't want to be in a position where we are managing 2 different sexes as we have no desire to breed. The worry I have is that we are told that it will make their coats unmanageable and also they will gain alot of weight - Is this true?

Sabby

24th March 2010, 11:01 PM

All three of mine are neutered, and none of them have gained weight and they all have a beautiful coat. I think the coat depends on each individual dog and the weight gain is up to you to control, with enough exercise and less food after they are spayed they shouldn’t gain that much weight. I think the benefits of neutering out way what could happen to their coat or weight gain. I am sure other people on the forum can tell you more about the different types of cancer dogs can get if not neutered.

Cathy Moon

25th March 2010, 12:44 AM

My male was neutered as a youngster, and his coat and weight are normal. You just have to exercise them, avoid overfeeding them, and they won't gain weight. And if they are fed a healthy diet, their coats will be glossy.

My vet told us that even when the males are neutered, they are still attracted to females in season; so you'll need to have your female spayed (once you get her).

Karlin

25th March 2010, 01:23 AM

All else being equal, it is far more of a health issue to get your female neutered than your males, but if you don't neuter the males and do neuter your female, you are almost certain to start getting leg lifting etc in the house and humping behaviour and other things you are not seeing now. If you are going to do the boys it would be a good idea to neuter before you add a female to the house so they don't begin and learn behaviour you do not want. It can be quite hard to stop once it begins.

There is a whole post on reasons why to neuter males and females in the Library section, but one of the key ones for female cavaliers is that they are one of the highest risk breeds for the often fatal womb disorder called pyometra. Often this is not spotted by the owner until either too late to save the dog or an emergency and risky spay is the only solution -- and typically costs can go well over $1000-2000 for an emergency procedure of this sort to try to pull the dog through.

If you don't neuter any of them, you have a major management job on hand which even most breeders do not undertake -- most will keep typically keep girls but not intact boys and girls.

This breed is very prone to weight gain anyway because people overfeed and underexercise, especially as they get older. So as others say all this is really up to the owner to manage and isn't difficult :). Many neutered dogs need 10-20% fewer calories -- meaning less food and a cost savings. :) Coat change can be genetic or connected to diet, weight etc though some may change with neutering -- but really, this is a minor cosmetic issue that 99% of people will not even notice. Of my 5, only one has a cottony coat and it is likely a combination of reasons that she has this. Ad funnily enough people often remark on her coat in particular in a positive way as they say she is so soft and fluffy! So much that the owner might think is an issue is actually a matter of total indifference to the rest of the world. :lol:

Many coats change as the dogs get older anyway -- I know lots of intact dogs with dry, cottony, dull coats, or coats that fade or go curly. Good healthy diet and coat care and exercise are really what matters to maintaining an attractive coat.

Riorocca

25th March 2010, 10:43 AM

Its great to hear from other Cavalier owners regarding the coats:)
Ashton has a very heavy coat and Rio has a fluffy coat anyway, they are both fed a good dry complete feeod with occassional extras such as sardines etc to help with the shine on their coat. They have always been a good weight and we have been very lucky with their marking etc but it is helpful to know that would change with a female in the house.
We would always get a female spayed as the health benefits would far outweigh any cons. Do we need to wait for the first season to spay a female?